Welcome to the Rhodopes, way off the beaten track! If you are looking for a thoroughly captivating and entrancing experience, you can discover the sense of sharing, welcome and traditional ways of life as it was, and still is. There’s handicraft skills and a welcome focus on the dining table, topped with healthy products and simple favour-packed cooking! At each turn, fascinating landscapes reveal an encounter, a tale, a myth, or a challenge. This land of Orpheus is to be savoured in all its forms.

HIGHLIGHTS

8 DAYS / 7 NIGHTS

A rarely-visited mountain range that has been inhabited since ancient times.

A land that respects its ancestral traditions and curious local people ready to offer a warm welcome.

A wide range of participatory activities with local people.

Hikes and outdoor activities during the day.

A holiday all-year-round.

PLUNGE INTO RURAL LIFE IN THE RHODOPIAN VILLAGES

Bulgaria is a small country in Eastern europe, with Slavic charm, yet distinctly Southern in character. The Rhodope mountains are in the south of the country, forming a vast range where people have lived since ancient times, people of different cultures, such as Christians and Moslems, who still live together peacefully. The mountains are a model for responsible tourism in Bulgaria and the locals are keen to welcome you and teach you about picking herbs and plants, their cooking and their daily work in the fields to keep a traditional way of life intact. You’ll find traditional songs and dances too, but you can also help maintain footpaths, signage and create texts and photos for websites and Facebook pages.

PROGRAM

DAY 1

Arrival in Sofia – the rugs of Kostandovo - Yagodina

Arrival in Sofia during morning and transfer by private bus to the Western Rhodopes. On the way, you’ll stop to visit an artisanal factory producing “kilims” (traditional rugs) at in Kostandovo.

Continue on to Yagodina.

Check-in and dinner at the Hotel Mursal in Yagodina, overlooking the Boyunovo Gorges, an outstanding natural site.

DAY 2

Exploring around the village of Yagodina – nature

Morning : Hike to look at the local geology and biodiversity. Photo opportunities, followed by a selection of the best shots to create an image bank.

Afternoon : Making local specialities of cows’ cheese.

Evening : Learning local dances. Dinner and night at the Hotel Mursal, with a chance to watch the sunset from the Eagle’s Nest outcrop, a sight not to be missed.

DAY 3

Exploring around the village of Yagodina – forest fruits and plants

Hike to gather medicinal plants and/or forest fruits, followed by a workshop to prepare them using traditional techniques to turn your treasures into products like Lutenitza (cooked tomatoes or peppers), preserves or cordials.